iPhone Camera App May Detect Atrial Fibrillation

Poster presented on technology at AHA 2016

January 4, 2017 — A smartphone application made it possible to use the iPhone camera to detect atrial fibrillation via facial signals and without physical contact, according to a preliminary study presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2016 in November.

The technology, called Cardiio Rhythm, detects subtle beat-to-beat variations in facial skin color, which reflect a person's heart rate fluctuation. They tested the app on 85 hospitalized patients, comparing the app to recordings on a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG).

The 12-lead ECG detected atrial fibrillation in 25 of the 85 patients. The smartphone application correctly identified more than 92 percent of cases with atrial fibrillation and nearly 95 percent of cases without atrial fibrillation.

The convenience of a contact-free approach makes the technology attractive for large-scale community atrial fibrillation screenings, researchers said.